The Edinburgh-based company, founded by Olly Dmitriev in 2013, specialises in producing ultra compact low-vibration gas compressors where vibration and noise can't be present and dimensions and weight are mission-critical.

Vert Rotors' VERT.04 compressor, around the size of a wrist watch, was first unveiled as a prototype satellite cooling system for the Ministry of Defence’s Centre for Defence Enterprise.

The new version is a low-noise, low-vibration desktop compressor which produces clean air compressed to 115 pounds per square inch.

Vert Rotors, who raised £1.5 million in July from investors to expand manufacturing capacity at its Edinburgh site, said the VERT.04 technology will significantly improve the quality of infrared imaging as well as having applications in the medical and aerospace sectors.

Dmitriev said: “Innovation in compressor design is glacially slow – our device is the first new design in the last 30 years to come to market.

“As for micro compressors, the current design was developed almost 100 years ago, no wonder they cannot achieve low vibration when working at high pressure. “The VERT.04 and its water-injected version VERT.04.W will be transformational for the aerospace and medical sectors. “Air compressors are used in multiple applications, from producing pharmaceutical drugs to aerospace engineering.

Current models are noisy and vibrate a lot, which is a challenge to meet customers’ expectations.”

Dmitriev added: “Having oil-free air is also critical in sterile environments such as hospitals, dental clinics, food or electronic production plants.

“Oil is the most-efficient lubricant to make sure compressors operate at maximum efficiency, but oil particles can contaminate the air that’s being produced.

“Water is the natural alternative, but the current generation of water-injected compressors that are small enough for medical applications struggle to operate efficiently or produce the high pressure that’s needed.

“Our compressor solves this problem by using a conical screw design, with the male rotor revolving inside the female rotor, making them the only miniature screw compressor that reaches high efficiency.”